Letter-box



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LETTER BOX.

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H. B. LAMBERT.

LETTER B0X.

No. 357,012. I .Patented Feb. 1, 1881.

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HORACE B. LAMBERT, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming prt of Letters Patent No. 357,012', datedrFebruary 1, 1887.

Application filed July 15, 1886.

declare the same to be described in thefollowing specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of wh'ichj Figure 1 is an endview, Fig. 2 a longitudinal and median section, and Fig. 3 a transverse section, of a letter-box of my invention, the nature of which vis deiined in the claims hereinafter presented. Fig. 4 is an inner side View, of the door of the outer case.' Fig. 5 is.

an inner side View, and Fig. 6 an outer edge vlew of, the door of the safe, or inner case or letter-receiver. Eig. 7 is asectionof theinner case, showing the closing slide ofits mouth and the mechanism for operating such slide. Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the outer-case door and the time-indicator thereof, such section being taken in a plane parallel with the outer face of the door and through the ratchet-wheel and pawl of the time-wheel of the indicator.

My invention relates to .that class of street letter-boxes in which a xed outer case contains an inner removable letter-box proper, and in which the letter cannot be removed from the case so. long as the letter-receiving aperture of it (the said box) is open.

My object is toimprove the construction of this class of letter-boxes, and I accomplish such by means as hereinafterl described. In v unlocking the door of the case the letter-receiving aperture of the box within such case becomes closed, as hereinafter explained.

In the drawings, A denotes a box or outer case, having in one end an opening provided with a door, B, hinged to the case. This door is furnished with a lock, C', whose bolt .a is to be operated by a key. In the upper part of the door is aletter-receiving opening or mouth, b, rectangular in shape, there being to such' opening and hinged to the door a coveringliap, c, as usual in letter-boxes.

Pivoted to the door, on its inner side, is an arm, C, which extends down across the lock and is connected with the bolt a thereof, so as -to be reciprocated or swung with a pendulous movement by such` bolt as it may be shot for- Serial No. 208,060. (No modela ward or moved backward in its case. The arm C carries or has pivoted to it a pawl, d,to engagewith a ratchet-wheel, c, affixed to the arbor of a time-wheel, f, such pawl, ratchetwheel, and time-wheel being arranged in a metallic case, g, fixed to the door, and having an opening, 7L, in it, through which the times of .ar letter-collector visiting the box, marked on the periphery of the wheel, can be seen, as

they may be successively brought around to or directly under the opening.l While the bolt ot' the lock is being shot back to unlock the door, the pawl will be drawn backward over the ratchet-wheel. So while the bolt is being advanced to lock the door the pawl will be caused to partially revolve the ratchetwheel and the latter -to correspondingly turn the time-wheel f.

fithin the case A, which is to be stationary o'r fastened to alamp-post or building or wall of a street, there is the letter-receiver or removablebox D, which is to be of metal and`V is to be of a size to enable it to be inserted in or removed from the case A throughits doorway. The letter-receiver D has one side open and provided with a door, E, which at or near one edge is hinged to the receiver D. This door is provided with a lock, E, whose bolt h is movable by a key, and is furnished with a stnd, i, extending from its inner side at the front end of the bolt.

Within that vertical side of the letter-receiver which is next the door of the case A there is a rectangular opening or'letter-receiving mouth, le, it being on alevel with the letterreceiving mouth of the said door, so that when a letter is forced into the latter mouth it shall pass into the inner month and'thence-into the receiver D. There is within the said receiver a slide-plate, G, for closing the mouth k. This plate slides vertically within the receiver and stud, t, that, when the slide is down so as to uncover the mouth It, passes over a shoulder, a, in the slide, and holds the slide in its position, uncovering the mouth.

Vhen the slide is in its highest position, so as to cover the month lf, the door of the letterreceiver being closed and locked, the latch m, catching upon the stud i, Will, with such stud, hold the slide from being moved so as to uncover the mouth To cach ease A there is to be a pair ol the removableletter-receivers D, thekeys of Whose locks are to be kept in the post-office, one only of the receivers being at any time within the caseA, and the other inthe post-otiiee or in transit between such and the said ense. rlhe box in transit from the post-ottico is to have its door locked andv its mouth open. In this condition it is to be inserted within the case A, and the door of the latter is to be closed and locked. In closing the door the arm C will be forced against the end of the stud r, in which ease such arm, in consequence ot' its inherent elasticity, will be pressed or bent hack a little toward the door. On the bolt of the lock being advanced to lock the door the arm C will be moved upon and oft' the stud andwill spring for- Ward directly in front or aside oi' it. During the process oi' unlocking the said door the arm C Will be forced against the side ofthe stud r, and Will move the latch p out of engagement with the shoulder a, which taking place the slideplate G will be instantly i'orccd upward, so as to cover the mouth k, and will be locked. The letterreeeiver, charged with letters and having the door and month closed, is next to be extracted from the case and transported in such condition to the post-oice,\vlie1eitis to be opened, the person who transmits it having no access to its contents. Having removed it from the case A, he is to substitute for it the second letter-receiver, that he may have pre viously received from the postotlicc and carried to the case A, after which he is to close and lool; the door of such case A.

, I do not claim a mail-receptacle or letter-box consisting of an outer case and a box therein provided with a lock to lock the door of the outer case, all being as represented in the United States Patent No. 329,688. I have to my letter-box the time-Wheel. and its operative mechanism, which is not found in the letterbox described in such patent.

I claim* 1. rl`he combination of the ease A and its door having a mouth and a lock and the pivoted arm thereto, substantially as described, with the removable letter receiver or box D, having a letter-receiving month in one side of it and a closing slide thereto provided with a spring for elevating it, and latching mechanism for holding it either raised or depressed relatively to the said mouth, and also having an opening and a door thereto provided with a lock having to its bolt a stud or project-ion to engage, when the door is closed and locked, with the latch m for locking the plate G in its raised position, all being substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the caseAand its door `and its lock, of the time-wheel and its operative mechanism,consisting of the ratchet- Wheel, the pawl, and the vibratory arm, all being arranged and applied substantially and to operate as described, such time\vlieel,ratehet wheel, and pawl being Within the door and a case applied thereto, and having an opening in its top over theperiphery of thetiine-wheel t and outside of the box, as set forth.

3. The letter-receiver or movable box D, substantially as described, having a letter-receiving mouth in one side of it, and a closing slide or plate, G, thereto, provided with a spring for elevating it, and latching mechanism i'or holding it either raised or depressed relatively to said mouth, and also having an opening and a door thereto provided with a lock having to its bolt a stud or projection to engage, when the door is closed and locked, with the latch m for locking the plate G in its raised position, all being essentially as described and represented.

HORACE B. LAMBERT.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, R. B. ToRnnY. 

